Amani
by AnimePrincess069
Summary: Follow Amani and her older brother Sinbad as they travel to other countries, make new friends, and start a trading company in order to change the world. This story is Ja'farXOc and takes place during Magi:Adventure of Sinbad.
1. Amani Prologue

**Hey AnimePrincess069 here! This is my first fanfic ever and I decided to write it because the Magi anime doesn't get as much love as it should, and there's not a lot of stories out there with Ja'far and an OC. And since this is my first fanfic, it may be a bit rough around the edges, which I apologize for in advance.I will also try to update weekly but that may change when school starts up again. Anyway, here's the Prologue for my story Amani! I hope you like it!**

**"****Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory" - Dr. Seuss**

_Prologue_

_My first memory of Papa was of the day he left when I was a one year old. Apparently, he had been charged with treason because he housed a soldier from Reim and conspired against the Empire. But my big brother Sinbad said that it was all just a big misunderstanding. From what I can remember, soldiers in green and white uniforms were holding Papa at the entrance of the village. I was in Mama's arms when she and Sinbad ran over to him. I don't remember much of what was said at that moment but at some point, Mama slowly began to fall to her knees on the ground next to Sinbad. As I looked up at them, I realized they were both crying. When I began to cry as well, I took notice of the 'golden birds' that flew around us as if to try to soothe us. I momentarily stopped crying to stare at them in wonder as some of them stopped in front of my face. 'It's time to say bye-bye' they said. When I began to cry harder, one of them landed on my nose and said, 'He isn't leaving forever, only for a little while'. After hearing that, my wailing was reduced to sniffling and with a tear-streaked face and as much determination that a one-year-old could muster, I began to wiggle in Mama's arms to be let down so I could go to Papa. She tried to keep me in her arms, but with her emotional distress and me moving around so much, her arms lost their hold on me. After I slid down and my feet touched the ground, I grabbed onto the front of her dress and noticed that she had her teary eyes on me. I then reached out with one hand and wiped some of the tears from her face. When she stopped crying, I let go of her dress and slowly walked towards Papa. Sin said that at that moment everyone stopped what they were doing to look at me 1. Because I just took my first steps, and 2. Because I looked like I was on a mission with that 'cute, determined look on my face'. When I finally reached Papa, I looked up at him, put my arms up, and got on my tippy toes to tell him that I wanted him to pick me up when I lost my balance. After he overcame his shock, he quickly grabbed me before I could fall face first to the ground while adjusting his wooden cane. I buried my face into his neck and wrapped my stubby arms around his neck as soon as he grabbed me. With tears running down my face, I took a deep breath and inhaled his scent that I would later recognize as a mix of sandalwood and the ocean. As I pulled away from the hug, I gave Papa a kiss on the cheek, looked into his golden eyes and said 'bye-bye'. I remember his eyes widened in shock as if he just realized something and then he smiled when my chubby fingers grabbed onto his dark purple hair. As he tried to put me down, I let out a whine but didn't resist him. When my feet finally touched the ground again, I stood there and looked up at him. I knew he had to go, but I wanted him to stay for just a little while longer. I stood there for a few moments with it becoming obvious that I wouldn't move when Sin came up behind me and picked me up. With tears at the corners of his eyes, he said, 'Papa has to go now, but I'll protect you and Mama I promise!'. With that said he turned around and walked back to Mama, and I looked back to Papa as he smiled at us. As I smiled back, my eyelids began to droop from emotional exhaustion, and the rest of that day became a blur. _

_A few months later, a casket with Papa's sword in it was delivered to the house to notify us of his death. After looking into the box, I began to whimper when I saw something glowing in the corner of my eye. When I turned my attention to a corner of the room where I saw the 'golden birds' converging, I widened my eyes in astonishment. There in the midst of them stood Papa smiling at me. I turned around with a smile on my face to look at Mama and Sin who were still crying and figured that they probably didn't notice him yet. That's when I walked over to them, pulled on their sleeves and pointed to the corner where Papa was to show them that there was no reason to cry because Papa was still here. But they just looked at me in confusion with tear-stained faces and pulled me in for a group hug. When they finally released me, I looked back to the corner and papa was gone._

_Over the years, I eventually realized that no one else in my family could see the 'golden birds' as I could. Through my conversations with the 'golden birds' or rukh as they call themselves, I was able to learn more about my ability, how rare it was, and how dangerous it could be for others to know of it. Which is why I decided to keep my ability a secret from everyone, including my family, to protect them. Because if there's anything that I learned from seeing papa in the rukh that day, it's that the death of a loved one hurts because 'this life' we live goes on without them and things can never go back to the way they use to be with them in it._


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long upload the next chapter. Last week I ended up being a lot busier than I expected to be and I had writer's block. I was also originally planning on making the first chapter about the full second episode of the anime, but I realized what I have so far is quite long and I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer, so here is the first official chapter of Amani. Enjoy! Also I have a bit of a description for Amani for the first part of the story.**

**Amani's Description**

10 years old (Like Ja'far)

Dark purple/brown hair that looks almost black with bangs covering her eyes

Slim build

Traditional Partevian dress with a blue top and a green skirt

**Chapter 1**

"**The best time for new beginnings is now." ~ Anonymous**

**Amani's POV**

_**~ Nine years later ~ **_

"_It's time to wake up Amani."_ the rukh sang as I yawned. I sat up wiping the sleep from my eyes when I noticed that Mama and Sin were still asleep, and the sun was just starting to rise. That's when I noticed Mama was coughing in her sleep so I quickly got up to mash what little of the medicinal herbs we had left with a mortar and pestle. 'Sin's gonna have to get some more before he comes back from the dock today.' I thought as I mixed the mash with boiling water, and put the drink into a cup before rushing over to her. "Good morning Mama. It's time to take your medicine." I whispered. Her eyelids fluttered as I helped her sit up. When she fully opened her eyes and they landed on me, she smiled while her rukh danced around her in appreciation. "Thank you, my dear," Mama said weakly as she took the cup. After she drank all of her medicine, I helped her lay back down to go to sleep for a few more hours. Then I walked back over to the stove to get the ingredients together to make breakfast. As soon as I finished cooking, I got the wooden plates and utensils together when the rukh around Sinbad became more animated, which meant that he was awake. "Good morning Sin. How did you sleep?" I said as I handed him his breakfast. "I slept well, how did you sleep little sister of mine," he said as he quickly grabbed his plate, and set it down on the table. Then he wrapped one of his arms around me in a hug and started ruffling my hair with the other.

"Stop it Sin!" I exclaimed.

"Nope. Don't feel like it." and based on the way he said it he was smiling.

I turned my head then and saw Mama was awake again. "Mama make him stop," I whined.

"Ok Sin let go of Amani and eat your breakfast." She said softly in amusement.

"Ok mom," he said, while the rukh surrounding him giggled.

After that, he let me go, sat down, and started eating his breakfast. I turned back to the stove with a huff, made Mama's plate, and handed it to her before making my own. Then, I sat down at the table with Sin and started eating. When Sin finished eating, he got up, put on his shoes and was about to step out the door before I called him.

"Sin can you get some more medicinal herbs for Mama while you're out? I used up the rest this morning."

"Ok, I will love you see you later."

"Love you too and good luck finding a job at the dock today!"

When he left I continued eating with Mama, then took our dishes and washed them for later. After that, I gave Mama some water and helped her lie down again as the rukh fluttered around us. "_Time to talk." _the rukh said. I nodded.

Every day when Sin leaves for work and Mama is resting, I spend the day doing some housework while I quietly talk to the rukh, who was trying to convince me once again to practice magic. They've told me before that I am capable, but if I were to start practicing, I fear that I would be detected by the magicians that work for the empire and they would take me away from my family. So I swore off magic to avoid trouble. I mean Sin has a lot of rukh like I do, even if he can't see them, and he hasn't been noticed by any magicians as far as I can tell.

"_Please consider it Amani,"_ the rukh whispered to me.

"I can't even if I wanted to," I responded quietly, "I don't have a spell book, let alone a magic teacher, and I can't take a risk like that if it puts everyone around me in danger."

The rukh stayed silent after that.

**~ A few hours later~**

It's late afternoon now. I sensed that Sin had entered the village a while ago and was helping other villagers with housework which wasn't weird because that was his daily routine after work. What was abnormal though was that I sensed someone with a humongous amount of rukh following him. It made me extremely anxious as I realized that Sin was bringing him to the house. I had just started cooking dinner when I sensed them getting closer.

" Come on in." Sin said as he came in through the doorway.

"Wow! What a lovely dark comfortable-looking house you have!" the guest said in amazement.

"Thanks?" said Sin in confusion.

'Who is this guy? He's strange.' I thought.

"You brought a guest with you? Please make yourself at home." Mama said when she sat up and started coughing.

"Mom don't get up! Just stay in bed ok?" Sin said in a worried tone.

"But I-"

"It's fine lie down Mama," I said as Sin and I helped her lie back down in bed.

That's when I slightly turned to get a good look at our guest through my bangs. He had long light blonde hair in a braid with sky blue eyes and was wearing a dark green hat and shirt with tan pants. But what struck me the most about him was the amount of rukh around him. I had never seen anyone with as much rukh around him besides Sin and myself. When Sin caught me looking at him, he said, "Amani, Mom, this is our guest Yunan. He's a traveler. Yunan, this is my little sister Amani and my Mom."

"Hello, nice to meet you and thank you for letting me stay in your home," Yunan said with a closed-eyed smile.

When he opened his eyes and made eye contact with me, I quietly gasped and quickly lowered my head so my bangs would cover my eyes.

"Hello," I muttered.

That's when Sin stepped forward and handed me a small bag with medicinal herbs in it. I smiled at him then shuffled back over to the stove to finish dinner while Yunan talked with Mama and Sin. I ended up tuning out everything they were talking about when the rukh started speaking to me. "_He won't hurt you or your family," _they said.

"Are you sure?" I whispered in trepidation as I turned my head to look at the rukh surrounding Yunan through my bangs.

Then I shifted my gaze onto Yunan and accidentally locked eyes with him again. I swiftly turned around with my face red in embarrassment. I have to learn to be more discreet when I look at people and the rukh around them.

Soon after I began putting food on plates when I saw a flash of green in the corner of my eye. "Allow me to help you," Yunan said when he grabbed the plates for Sin and Mama.

I was so out of it at the moment that I didn't sense him coming up behind me.

"But your our guest," I mumbled, " you shouldn't have to-"

"It's alright, I insist. You've already done so much for me by allowing me to stay in your home. It's the least I could do." He said as he smiled at me.

'Maybe he isn't so scary after all,' I thought, 'The rukh did say he wasn't going to harm us.'

"Ok." I murmured.

That's when he turned and walked back over to Mama and Sin with their plates.

After dinner, I took the dishes and utensils, washed, and then dried them. Then I prepared Mama's medicine and gave it to her before she laid down to go to sleep. I was now setting up Yunan's bed when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and looked through my bangs to see Yunan.

"I would like to talk to you, Amani." He said kindly.

"About what?" I whispered. Mama and Sin were already fast asleep.

"About the rukh." He answered.

At that moment, I felt fear course through me. "_It's ok. He isn't going to hurt you or your family." _The rukh reminded me.

"Ok," I whispered back to them both.

"Shall we go outside and talk?" Yunan asked with a smile.

**That's the chapter guys! I'm gonna be pretty busy this week, but I'll try to update either towards the end of this week or next week. Until then, continue being awesome!**


	3. Chapter 2

_**Hey AnimePrincess here! I apologize for taking so long to upload another chapter. I was busy moving back to college and preparing to go back to school. I wrote this chapter in a bit of a hurry because I wanted to get it out ASAP so I apologize if its sloppy, etc. I'll try to upload as soon as I can and hopefully the chapters will be longer so we can get to Amani meeting Ja'far soon. Hope you enjoy!**_

**Chapter 2**

" **Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do." ~ Oprah Winfrey**

**Amani's POV**

I nodded and quietly led the way outside so we could talk. When we were standing outside my home, Yunan lightly laid a hand on my shoulder and we teleported to a cliff-hanging over the ocean.

" We should be free of prying eyes and ears here," he said sitting on a big boulder and patting the spot next to him for me to sit down.

I hesitantly made my way over to him and sat down looking at my feet. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, he spoke again.

" As the rukh has told you, I mean you and your family no harm Amani. I only wish to talk with you about your abilities and why you decided to hide them. After all, you being able to see and hear the rukh show that you have the potential to become a powerful magician," he said thoughtfully.

I was stunned into silence for a few moments. 'He's known me for a few hours at most, and I haven't been able to hold a full conversation with him due to my timidness. Yet he believes that I have the potential to become a powerful magician.' I thought. After I finished pondering what he said, I looked up at him realizing I was taking too long to answer. But he was just smiling at me patiently as if to say 'take your time'.

"I decided to hide my abilities from everyone because I didn't want to put anyone in danger," I whispered, looking him in the eyes briefly before staring down at my lap, fidgeting with the hem of my dress.

"I've been able to see and hear the rukh since Papa left for war when I was about one year old. As the years passed, I would ask Mama and Sin if they could see them too. But they never could. Which doesn't make any sense to me because Sin has just as much rukh around him as I do. Anyway, the rukh told me that someone being able to see and hear them was incredibly rare and that the empire would take me away from my family if they knew. So I decided that I wouldn't tell anyone or try to practice magic because I didn't want anyone to get hurt over me." I finished waiting for him to reply.

" I see," he said looking down, " the situation in this country has left you with very little to work with. So you chose to do what you have to because it guarantees more safety for your loved ones, even if it means isolating yourself from them."

He then closed his eyes seeming deep in thought. " But you know that things can't remain this way forever. You try your best to hide the fact that you're a magician, but you can't hide the large amount of rukh around you. And combine that with your lack of training, you are vulnerable to those that would be willing to try to use you to get what they want."

' He's right,' I thought eyes widening in panic. ' Since I haven't been able to command the rukh to stop fluttering around me in large numbers, the magicians in Partevia probably already know and are probably planning to-'. I snapped out of my thoughts when Yunan put his hand on my shoulder to comfort me. Then he began again.

" So I will help you so that they don't." he finished. I blinked in surprise.

" But why would you do that for me?" I questioned quickly, " We've barely spoken to each other since we were introduced and yet you're willing to help me because you know of the situation I'm in."

He took a moment to think before responding. " Think of it as a favor from one magician to another. And besides, you and your family were willing to do the same for me. This would be me returning the favor." He replied with a closed-eyed smile.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and I felt so _relieved_. ' I'm not alone anymore,' I thought happily.

I gave him a small smile as I started crying. When he finally opened his eyes and noticed my tears, his eyes widened in shock. " Please don't cry Amani," he said worriedly.

" They're happy tears," I said as I sniffled. " For so long, I felt like I've had to face so many things on my own because not only could I not tell anyone, but they just wouldn't have been able to understand. I feel like I've had a weight lifted off my shoulders knowing that someone else is willing to have my back. Thank you, Yunan." I said giving him a sincere smile which he returned. There was a comfortable silence when I spoke again.

" But how are you going to help me?" I said with a questioning look.

" By giving you this," he said when a green beaded bracelet appeared in his hand. " This bracelet can hide the rukh around you from those who can see them while still allowing you to do magic."

He held out his other hand asking for my wrist. I set my right hand in his palm and he slipped the bracelet onto my wrist.

" I can also show you a spell or two as defense and offense-"

" Can we start now?" I said interrupting him with excitement evident in my voice.

" Of course." He said with a smile unbothered by me cutting him off.

And so Yunan began teaching me how to cast different offensive and defensive spells until the sun peeked over the ocean. Then we quietly teleported back home and I went to sleep with a smile on my face.

_**That's all for today folks! Continue being awesome as always!**_


	4. Chapter 3

_**Hey guys AnimePrincess069 here! Sorry it's been so long since I last updated. I've had all kinds of crazy things going on from fracturing my wrist, computer troubles, and switching to online for the rest of my college semester because of COVID-19. I hope all of you are doing well despite this weird time we're living in. **_

_**On another note, I plan to finish this story all the way through and will hopefully be updating more frequently as school is out. I also have a Tumblr called **__**magininja **__**in case you guys wanna get in touch with me. I also would like to thank everyone that has messaged me, followed or favorited this story so far. Without further ado, here is the third chapter of Amani.**_

** Chapter 3**

"_**Always go with the choice that scares you the most, because that is the one that is going to help you grow." ~ Caroline Myss**_

**Amani's POV**

I blink the sleep from my eyes as I wake up for the day. As I become more aware of my surroundings I realize that Mama and Yunan are talking behind me. '_That's weird. Mama usually isn't up this early unless she has a coughing fit,' _ I thought. Then I glanced up to look out the window only to realize that it isn't dawn, but close to noon. I immediately sit up and turn to face Mama to apologize.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry Mama! I didn't mean to sleep in….." I said as I rambled on and on in embarrassment.

Mama looked confused then started laughing softly, which made me pause. "It's alright sweetie. We let you sleep in because Yunan said you had a hard time falling asleep last night," she said smiling at me.

I looked to Yunan who nodded his head at me with a smile. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and looked down at my lap, my face heating up in embarrassment at my outburst. "Thank you," I said smiling up at them.

And that's when all hell broke loose.

"It's terrible!" we heard someone, who turned out to be Auntie, shout from a distance. The rukh around her was fluttering around frantically, almost in a panic. We all turned to the doorway as she stopped, panting heavily "Quickly Esra! We don't have much time! It's Sinbad!".

I widened my eyes, quickly getting up to run outside. " Mama please stay here, I'll go check on Sinbad," I said.

" I'll go with her," Yunan said as he stood up.

I looked towards mama and saw that she was upset. I walked towards her and held her hands,

"It's ok mama. I'll bring Sinbad back ok?"

She nodded her head once before Yunan and I ran out the door. I began to panic as I saw a crowd and heard someone introduce themselves as the Western Regional Military Commander. '_This is bad. Why would they attack Sinbad?... Unless they found out about me.'_ My racing thoughts came to a halt when Yunan grabbed my hand.

"It'll be ok Amani. I won't let anything happen to you or your family," he whispered to me.

My eyes widened and I nodded my head, though I was still a little nervous. He let go of my hand and put it on my shoulder to lead me through the crowd. We heard someone get kicked as we made our way through and saw Sinbad on the ground surrounded by men in military uniforms. "You don't have the right to refuse. This is an order from the military," one of the men, who I'm guessing is the military commander based on the confident air he carried around him, said. He had dark green hair, golden eyes, and wore a red cape over gold armor.

"Why are they being so harsh with him," Yunan asked in concern.

A young woman who stood next to him answered. "Sin has been ignoring the draft notice for a while now. So they've come after him."

I gasped quietly in shock. Sin never told me he received draft papers, and now he's being hurt because of it. '_What do I do? What can I do?'_ I thought.

No sooner had one of Auntie's kids ran over to Sinbad. "What are you doing to Sinbad," he yelled as he got kicked by a military officer.

"Shut up!" the officer yelled as Auntie ran towards him.

"Easy boy. Give yourself another five years or so and you can put that energy to good use as a soldier for your country." the commanding officer said.

I nervously looked around and noticed the other officers were holding other people in the crowd back. ' _I have to do something,'_ I thought as, without thinking, I ran in between Sin and the military commander. My heart was beating in my ears as I slowly raised my head and made eye contact with the military commander.

"Please stop," I said softly.

I heard everyone around me stop and felt all of their eyes on me, which made my heart beat even faster. '_There's no turning back now.'_ I studied the military commander and found him surprised at me for standing up to him. I took a deep breath and tried to keep my voice even.

"Please don't hurt my brother anymore. It's bad enough that you're trying to take him away from us, but please..."

I was going to continue but I saw the other military officers attempt to grab me before their commander held up his hand to stop them. His surprise had melted away, but now he held what I believed to be amusement in his eyes.

"You must be Amani I presume."

I nodded my head once in answer.

"Tell me, Amani, why do you believe that it's a bad thing for your brother to join the military? The only reason he ended up like this is that he ignored the ten draft papers that have been sent to him. In all honesty, I'm surprised that he did such a thing as your father joined before him and I thought that your brother would have wanted to continue his legacy," he said, "Wouldn't your father be disappointed in how your brother is behaving?"

I sadly looked down at my feet as I answered him.

"I wouldn't know I didn't have a chance to get to know him. But from what people have told me about him, I know he wouldn't want Sin to fight. I was told he fought in the war before this one and realized that war causes nothing but despair for all those involved. So please, can you leave us?" I asked as I fidgeted with my fingers and looked back up at him again to gauge his reaction.

He looked at me with a look of superiority in his eyes.

"Unfortunately we can not afford to do that. It's normal for people to be of service to their country. The citizens here are an extremely important workforce in the war against the Reim Empire. Not one person can be spared."

I was going to respond, but Sin beat me to it.

"We're not tools to be used in your war, got it? It's just as Amani said, our father, along with the rest of the men were sent to die. This war has brought us nothing but pain from the sacrifices you've forced us to make. I'll never join the military, understand?!" He said while slowly standing up.

After that, the whole crowd joined in.

"Exactly! Sin and Amani are absolutely right! This pointless war has brought us nothing but suffering and anguish!"

"You can't fool us!"

I looked around in amazement. The rukh surrounding everyone was vibrant, flying around with a sense of determination and life, more so than I've ever seen. I was so mesmerized by it that I didn't look back to the military commander until he addressed my brother again.

"Tell me, Sinbad. Your mother is still very alive and well yes? She, along with your sister, will suffer whatever punishment you receive for the crime of rejecting your military duty."

It felt as though the world stopped as the statement silenced the crowd, and based on the rukh, they became apprehensive. Then the commander turned to the crowd.

"Surely you people know of the legendary dungeon? The magicians of this country say within it lay a power that is beyond human comprehension. That is why we've come here. We must obtain this power no matter what the personal cost. This is the directive from our king in order to serve this nation, and better protect its people from the Reim Empire. Reflect on what I've said." Then he and the two soldiers accompanying him walked away.

I looked over to Sin to see him glaring at the ground. His fists were clenched and he was covered in scratches and blood.

'_No matter the personal cost? Only we have been making sacrifices, not the royal family who started this war. This isn't about protecting us. They're delusional. It's about greed and power not protecting us. If it were we wouldn't have to make these sacrifices in the first place.'_ I thought.

As the crowd dispersed, Yunan came and told me that he would talk to Sinbad and take his leave with the promise to visit again. I nodded my head as a thank you and walked back home to tell Mama what had transpired. And even though this event was incredibly overwhelming for me, I feel assured that no matter what happens next not only will I not be alone, but that I might be stronger than I originally thought.

_**This was the longest chapter I've ever written. Feedback is appreciated since this is my first fanfic ever. Thank you for reading Amani and continue being awesome!**_


	5. Chapter 4

_Hey AnimePrincess069 here! Sorry its taking me a while to update. The last couple weeks have been hard with going to a funeral and going back to work in the middle of this pandemic. Not to mention what's happening with the protests about the systemic racism and police brutality (please stay safe if you are protesting!)._

_I started typing this chapter up on my phone and was planning on making it longer, but I decided to post because I've kept you waiting long enough. In the coming weeks it may take longer to update or I'll just upload shorter chapters more frequently (hopefully). _

_BTW I changed when the rukh talks to Amani to this: _"_rukh."_

_When Amani thinks to herself its this: 'Amani.' _

_Anyway here's Chapter 4 of Amani. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 4**

"**Worry ends when faith begins." ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7**

Amani's POV

Sin didn't come back until dinner time. Besides him greeting Mama and me, he hasn't said anything else, which led to a silent dinner for the most part. That was until Sinbad finished eating. "Hey mom, Amani. I'm gonna…" he paused when he saw us looking at him with kind smiles on our faces. '_He looks troubled,' _ I thought, '_but that's not unexpected considering what he's gone through today. But based on the rukh around him, he's really nervous. He's probably gonna ask us for a big favor.'_

"Well I…" he closed his eyes, exhaled, then stood up, "Nah don't worry about it," he said while turning to put his dishes away.

"Sinbad," Mama said. He stopped where he stood and took in a sharp breath as I turned to mama.

"Come over here for a moment." She said.

Sinbad turned back around and saw that Mama was sitting up and holding Papa's sword. Both our eyes widened.

"Take this on your journey," She finished with a smile.

When I turned back to Sinbad, his rukh seemed to be a mix of surprise, and anxiety.

'_So that's what it is. He wants to go to the dungeon. But he didn't want to bring it up to us because of how we might react. I understand why he's surprised I also wasn't expecting what Mama said, but why is he still anxious?' _Then he looked at me to see my reaction and I realized he was waiting to hear what I thought about it. I looked down to contemplate my answer. I really really don't want him to go. What if he doesn't come back like Papa? Then I heard the rukh whisper softly in my ear.

"_He will be safe. Not only does he have what it takes to survive, but it is his destiny." _

' _I really don't want him to go,' _I thought, '_but the rukh have never lied to me. I'll still worry about him, but I just have to believe he'll be ok. Sin is different from everyone, maybe not the same way as me, but he'll be able to do it and come back safely.'_

With determination overpowering my anxiety, I looked up at him and gave him a smile and a nod as my answer. He smiled back at me, and I saw his shoulders and the rukh around him relax.

Then he looked at Papa's sword.

"But that's Dad's keepsake." He said as he walked towards her.

"Sin please don't hold yourself back because of me, you too Amani," she smiled at us as we gasped, "I've put an extraordinary burden on you two." Then she turned to look only at Sinbad, "But Sinbad you've found your calling. I can see it in your eyes." Sin attempted to say something but she continued, "It's fine. Do what you have to do. I know that's what your dad would want. I promise you we'll be ok. We can depend on other people to keep an eye on us. So go. Please."

After a moment of hesitation, Sinbad found his resolve and slowly took the sword from Mama.

"Thanks, mom." He said. Then he turned towards the door before looking back at me. I smiled at him again, keeping the worry from my eyes. And he left.

_That's all folks! Thanks for reading, stay safe (in the middle of this pandemic and/or if you are protesting), and stay awesome!_


	6. Chapter 5

_**Hey AnimePrincess069 here! Here's a longer chapter to make up for the other one I posted earlier this week. Writing for Esra was hard, but I did the best I could. And sorry if it's a bit sloppy, I tried to do as much editing as I could so I could post it today. **_

_**BTW I love hearing what you guys think of the story so far so please keep commenting! Without further ado, here's Chapter 5 of Amani, enjoy!**_

**Chapter 5**

"**Don't compare your life to others. There's no comparison between the sun and the moon, they shine when it's their time."~ Anonymous**

**Amani's POV**

_**~ A few hours later ~**_

After restlessly tossing and turning for hours because I was worried about Sinbad, I looked out the window to see the sun peaking over the horizon. I decided that taking a walk before starting the day would be best to clear my mind, and possibly, get rid of my exhaustion. So I stood up and rolled up my sleeping mat. Then I checked on Mama to make sure she was still asleep and walked out the doorway. I took slow and steady strides and began to think about what I would do now that Sin wasn't here now. Sin did a lot for our village, like bringing back herbs for Mama and food that he would share with everyone.

Maybe the best course of action would be to find a job at the dock like Sin did? '_But I'm not Sinbad. We're nothing alike in personality. He's never been afraid to express himself or what he thought. Meanwhile, my heart just about beats out of my chest whenever I try to talk to people I've known my whole life.' _I thought without even realizing that I had walked back home.

As I walked through the door, I saw Mama sitting up, smiling at me. I smiled back to hide my anxiety, "Good morning Mama," I said. Then I walked over to the stove to begin making breakfast and to make Mama's medicine.

As I took out the mortar and pestle, Mama began to speak. "Amani, can you come over here for a moment?" I turned back around with a questioning gaze and made my way over to her.

"Sit next to me sweetie," she said as I then sat next to her on the bed.

When I made eye contact with her she gave me a knowing look. "There's been a lot on your mind these past couple days, ever since Yunan came to stay with us, and I'd like to talk to you about it," she said.

I widened my eyes slightly and looked down. But now that I think about it, I have been spacing out more lately. I used to only do it when I talked to the rukh when I was on my own, but a lot of things have changed recently leaving me with much to think about.

As I looked back up at her, I nodded my head in reply. She put a hand on my head and ruffled my hair a bit.

"You still see the rukh don't you?"

When she said that, it felt like my heart dropped to my stomach, and I began to panic. Before I could attempt to say anything she continued.

"I've always known you were special Amani. I've known since the day that your father left. At the time, I was faced with uncertainty and I worried greatly for your father and how I could take care of you and your brother on my own. But when you pushed yourself out of my arms to take your first steps, it felt like time stood still. As a baby, you were relatively quiet. You preferred to watch people than to interact with them, and whenever you were the center of attention you would try to hide or burst into tears when you couldn't. But that day, you managed to not only take your first steps, but you also lightened the heavy grief your brother and I felt while the whole village and the military were watching you without shedding a tear. As you grew older, you would always talk about 'golden birds', how they were there when your father left, and how your father came to visit with them. At first, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but then you suddenly stopped talking about them after your brother and I said that we couldn't see them repeatedly. But I noticed that when you thought that you were alone, you would talk to yourself asking questions about magic. I decided that I wouldn't ask you about it because it was around when I first got sick and I thought it was due to stress. But the day that Yunan came, you seemed much more anxious than usual. And that night, I saw you and Yunan leave to go talk. When you both came back early the next morning, Yunan told me everything while you slept. He explained what the rukh was and that you had the potential to become a very powerful magician. He also said that you didn't want to say anything to your brother and me because you didn't want to worry us, and about your fear of the government and military. I planned on talking to you about it when you woke up, but then those soldiers came for Sinbad. You've shouldered the secret of your abilities for so long to keep us safe, along with everything else that I've burdened you with. And while you are incredibly shy, you show your strength even when you're scared." then she smiled.

" I am so proud of you and I am so lucky to have you as a daughter." she finished. Tears were going down my face before I realized I was crying. All this time, I felt so alone because no one else I knew could see the things I could until Yunan came along. And even though Mama couldn't see the rukh like me, she never questioned me and accepted me as I am.

Mama wiped the tears off my face and made me look her in the eye again. "You're special Amani, just as much as Sinbad is. And even though you two are so different, I believe you both will help change the world in your own unique ways." she finished as I hugged her while continuing to cry tears of joy.

"Thanks, Mama."

_**~ Later That Same Day ~**_

After some thinking, I found a way to help everyone in my own unique way. I managed to get some seeds with some of the money Sinbad left us. Then after walking some ways from the village, I managed to teleport myself, after many attempts, to the spot that Yunan took me to practice magic. I planted the seeds and accelerated their growth. I now had access to the herbs to make mama's medicine as well as some apples, tomatoes, and corn. Happy with the outcome, I picked some of the produce and placed it in a knapsack then teleported some ways from the entrance to the village (I couldn't just pop up out of nowhere right?). As I was making my way back, I thought about how right Mama was. Sinbad and I are different, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

_**~ About 2 Months Later ~**_

Almost two months have passed and Sinbad still hasn't returned. I know he'll come back, but I hope he does before Mama passes. She's been getting worse for about a month now, and I've spent day and night sitting by her side, except when I leave to get more food.

When I asked Auntie if there was anything that could help her, she told me that there was nothing we could do but pray that she pushes through. And so the only thing that I could do was increase the dosage of medicine from the herbs that I gave her, which helped relieve some of the aches and pains she felt. When she wasn't delirious with sickness, she would ask me what the rukh says and if they've said anything about Sinbad. I would tell her that they said that Sinbad is alright and that they would send me some messages about Yunan, and how when he sees me next he plans to train me more in magic which I was very excited about. Then she would smile at me like always and say that she couldn't wait to see what I accomplish.

At night when she would go to sleep I would silently cry to not wake her. I know that she'll leave soon, and even though she'll be in the rukh with Papa, it makes me sad to know that she won't be there to hold my hand, to give advice, or to give me hugs when I feel too much. Then I would ask the rukh if there was any spell that could help her get better, and they would tell me that the sickness was too far along and that there isn't a spell in existence (yet) as it is rare and most of the healing magic in existence is used to heal serious wounds caused by war, not an illness. Then I would begin to think about Sinbad. Maybe when he comes back he'll have something that can help Mama? I mean the military commander said that Partevia's magicians detected a great power in the dungeon, and there could be some healing magic scrolls that I could learn to read and cast. With those thoughts in mind, I would fall asleep every night in the hopes that Sinbad would return very soon. And about a week later, he did.

_**I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. I'm so excited cause Amani is so close to meeting Ja'far and I can't wait to write it! Anyways, continue being awesome!**_


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